Luxury Rottnest Island resort: Samphire Rottnest review
Quokkas have received a ‘glow-up’ in recent years, and now this ‘barefoot luxe’ resort has given Rottnest Island an opulent overhaul of its own.
They are so cute! So says absolutely everyone about the quokkas on Rottnest Island, but it hasn’t ever been thus. The quokka has in recent years had a bit of a glam-up. It started when Roger Federer visited the island before playing in the 2018 Hopman Cup. He snapped an awesome quokka selfie, prompting the near instant rehabilitation of an animal mistaken for a rat by Dutch explorers and treated terribly by wicked kids in the 1980s playing something called quokka soccer.
Quokkas are now the undisputed glamour marsupial of Instagram, all chubby cheeks and cheerfulness, which is exactly how you will feel after visiting Rotto.
When should you go? As soon as you can. Do you know that I’ve flown to Perth from Sydney at least 20 times, and nobody has ever suggested that I visit Rottnest Island, which is just 30 minutes away by ferry? I think I know why. They’ve been hiding it.
There isn’t a Perth child who hasn’t been. Rotto is summer holidays the way Australians like them: barefoot kids on bikes, with ice-cream sliding down their arms.
Accommodation has always been tight: you would go into a ballot and be excited to see which of the concrete rooms you’d been allocated (you had to pay, but it was cheap as chips). The wire beds were lumpy, and there was no air-conditioning and that was just fine with everyone; in fact, it was perfect. Rotto is for Perth people infused with the same sense of nostalgia east-coasters feel for hot-as-hell fibro shacks in sleepy surf coast villages.
Now, to Samphire Rottnest. The Prendiville Group is trying to do something different here. They have worked respectfully with local planning authorities to create a gorgeous, low-slung, sand-coloured resort centred around a pool and a beach club.
They have in mind people who want the “barefoot luxe” experience – the simplicity of island life, yes, but also a big soft bed in a cool room with a sea view, a couple of fine restaurants, yoga classes and cocktails.
The Samphire opened in October 2020, which is to say, at the worst possible time. Two years on, their rating isn’t as high on sites like TripAdvisor as it should be, with many of the early complaints related to events directly caused by staff shortages: bags that took too long to arrive; slow meal service, and so on. Now the borders are open, and the Samphire staff – they all look so achingly young in their cool, white linen – are standing ready to help you have the loveliest time.
Speaking of which: get an e-bike as soon as you arrive. You can pedal around the island in under a day. You will cruise past salt lakes on your way to the lighthouse, and the fur seal colony. Stop at any one of the 63 beaches, some of which are bound to be deserted. It’s blissful precisely because it’s so quiet – there are no cars! – and easy to get around.
There are 10,000 quokkas on the island. The town ones are used to people. You’ll get your selfie with one of them. The quokkas out on the trails are a little more shy and equally delightful.
We eat the first night at the Italian restaurant, Isola. You don’t have to pick anything from the menu – simply say “land” or “sea” and they’ll bring out the share plates. We have scampi risotto, chilli mussels, burrata with heirloom tomatoes – all fresh and delicious.
Day two, take a snorkel and dive in. Be amazed as the bedsheet mantra rays glide beneath you, or book a snorkelling tour and let them guide you through the coral, with tiny colourful fish for company. We see an octopus eerily similar to the one from My Octopus Teacher bursting forth from beneath a rock to dart about the ocean floor.
If you don’t feel like heading out, stick to the Samphire. They have fancy poolside cabanas, and you can use the app to have the Rottnest Island Tea delivered directly to your daybed. A friendly girl from behind the bar will come around with an ice-bucket filled with Icy Poles for the kids.
The second night we dine at Lontara, the on-site restaurant, where flavours are inspired by South-East Asia: go for sticky ribs, whole fish, or Geraldton rock lobster with banana blossom and green papaya salad.
If you’ve been to Noosa, you’re over Byron and you don’t want to battle humidity (and the belly) in Bali, try the Samphire. It’s all blue skies, warm water, fresh produce and dreamy beds. You probably wouldn’t do what we did: fly from the east coast, get the ferry across, stay two nights and head back. You’d want to make it three.
Samphire Resort checklist:
Perfect for: barefoot luxe devotees; canoodling couples still deeply into each other; snorkellers; hikers and bike riders; nature lovers; anyone nostalgic for an Australian beach holiday, with an upscale twist.
Must do: quokka selfie; e-bike the length of the island from the Samphire resort to the New Zealand fur seal sanctuary (they’re as big as bears, you won’t be able to get over it); dine beside the moonlit bay at Isola; fall into an afternoon nap on a sexy poolside cabanas (use the app to order lobster rolls).
Getting there: the Rottnest Express will get you there from Fremantle in less than thirty minutes. The timetable varies with the season; you can book online. You can walk from the ferry terminal to the Samphire, passing quokkas as you go (note: there are no cars on the island).
Rates: Bed and breakfast starts at $530 a night; room rates rise steadily and sharply in the busy summer months. Book early.
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